and we shall have snow !
and sleet , hail, rain , Gale Force 9, the roar of the river and adjoining lochs , and that splashy sound the tyres of cars make as they drive over the wet sodding roads !! lol
I'm laughing, cos if I didn't I'd be crying NOT AGAIN ! And today of all days the ferries at Gourock go on strike - hahaha - like they would be sailing today anyway , with the river looking like hells cauldron .
Well a few good pals are back in the blogging business again - there's Nan (course but humourous!! lol , you have to see todays entry) , and Sarah , (cyclist and knitter) . Hey , remember Nan, you've been tagged!
Tigerlilith has completed Januarys' sweater , in her quest to knit a sweater for every month of 2008 (the girl's got drive and determination!)
And Heather has the blanket to die for - how I wish I was her cat !
And me ? Well the blue shrug just needs one more arm (almost done) and a collar! I've restarted my sisters cropped cardi in Noro Silver Thaw , and am using size smaller needles to get it a little narrower (there's nothing to her , and I fear the stated finished size will be HUGE) . This may result in me running out of yarn before I finish - do I try and source some more? OR give her 3/4 length sleeves!
T'will depend on the weather the day I finish - hehe!
Well I'm off to look at my Vogue Knitting magazine - a find at my local keystore shop , and a tad less expensive than Borders price !
So go on wind , blow your worst , then get outta here!
So I have broken my own resolution - again! Its Ebay , or to be more precise the Natural Dye Studio on ebay! Kimberley had brought in a load of gorgeous skeins she had bought in the sale from Dye Studio , and they looked and felt sooooooo good.
Whats the harm , I thought , just have a wee peek and see what they have !
Quite a lot actually.... only my lack of readies is holding me back from getting some more !
Isn't it gorgeous.....
From the bottom - we have Alpaca/Merino mix in Luna Pearl , next up is the merino/tencel mix in Kingfisher, then at the top is the Blue-faced Leicester in Sherbert Fizz . Photo's not so great - but the shades shown on the website are exactly what you get - fabulous yarn and fabulous service . And these colours certainly brighten up a grey rainy day .
Here's anoher cheeky monkey , trying to pinch my yarn!
On the knitting front - having my doubts about the blue shrug - not turning out as I expected, but being astrakan yarn , there is no way I'm frogging. So I may try knitting a bit more here and there - it may end up a cushion cover or a strange cuddly animal !
I think the hat for MIL was a success - she tried it on , said it fitted/suited fine , then put it in her bag before leaving . Mmmmm , maybe she's "keeping it for good!" lol
Today is Homelessness Sunday , and Churches all around the country are asking their members to consider those without a home , those who live in abject poverty , and what we can do to alleviate this .
It is sad that in this modern world , there are still those who have no home , and very little to live on , even in this country. One charity that helps those get back on their feet is Starter Packs , and some lovely ladies in our church , Ella and Ruth, collect on their behalf for the Inverclyde area . Ella , Ruth and their band of workers , collect , pack and distribute every week to families and single folk finally getting their first home. All these people that help out are unpaid volunteers , who give up a lot of their free time - its wonderful that even nowadays there are still people who devote their a large part of their lives to helping out - Well Done you guys!
Well TangledFrog has gone and tagged me for a meme , that she was tagged for by DollyDimple
So apparently, I've to tag some other folk , as well as putting down a few things about myself - strange things - should be easy, plenty strange about me ! lol
So to completely plagiarise what was on Tangledfrogs page ;-)) Here are the rules:
Link to the person that tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
Got that !
1. I have one cup of coffee a day , at my local cafe Flava , and cannot start anything until I've done so .
2.I am a magazinaholic - my new years resolution is to CUT DOWN my magazine purchases !
3. I like poetry , but unfortunately I have a very bad memory, so am unable to memorise anything .
4.I have a bad memory... oh yeah , mentioned that. Did I say I have a bad memory .
5. I adore Alan Rickmans' Snape character in the Harry Potter Movies - well basically adore Alan Rickman lol .
6.Always , always leave some tea in my cup - it goes back to when we used tea leaves and didn't have a tea strainer!
So , who do I tag , hmm , possibly Nan , get her back to blogging! , and perhaps Kimberly , and Nicola's not been around for a while either . That should do for now - girls consider yourself tagged !
Right , off to do some knitting - I have a skein of Easyknit sock yarn that is crying out to be cast on - later later later!!
Happy Burns Night . We're following tradition by eating food that someone else took a long time to make , they cooked for hours , we heated it up in five minutes. Yep ... lazy mamma went to M&S , its Friday , its Stormy outside , and we're meant to be celebrating Robert Burns Night.
I love Burns Poetry , I love to read it , I love its silly Scottish sentimentality , but most of all I love it because its a link to my Grandparents who hailed from Ayr - " ne'er a town surpasses, o honest men and bonnie lasses" , or as my dry-witted father would say - " bonnie men and honest lasses" , just to annoy his MIL ! lol
And the thing I loved , was hearing my Grandmother , Great Aunt or Great Grandmother (known affectionately as Great Scott Gran) recite Burns poems , because they actually spoke like that. There was no affecting the accent or the dialect , it was theirs to start with , and it sounded so natural , so poetic. They didn't wait until Burns night to recite the poetry , in fact as women , they were a wee bit sceptical about Burns Night , and Burns Clubs . That was for these daft men , just another reason to eat their fill and drink until they were "fou'" (drunk) . Bit likeBurns actually.... lol
There are very few people who can recite Burns poetry with such panache now (and without the alcohol) , but the one who's the best is Karen Dunbar . You ought to hear her "Tam o Shanter" , at speed.
I have a memory of going to stay with Great Scott Gran and Auntie Jean for the weekend. I shared Auntie Jeans big bed , with the vintage quilt and flannelette sheets , in the room with the open coal fire and Coalport China figurines , and remember asking for (yet) another story . So she told me one about a Mouse , whose wee house was all broken up by a big bad farmer and his plough . But the farmer was upset , he didn't really mean to break up the wee mouses' house , he just had a lot on his mind . Now she told me all this in the ayrshire dialect (ye ken) , and I was hooked ! Can you guess the poem ? *
Today , there are Poets wandering around Glasgow , handing out the works of Edwin Morgan , another fine Scottish Poet , and reciting some too. Now taking poetry to the masses , that to me is a perfect way to celebrate Burns Night , as that is what he was all about (well that along with the philandering , drinking , and populating Scotland ! ).
Mind you , the time we had our pal from Manchester staying with us was another memorable Burns Night - we did the (vegetarian ) Haggis , Neeps and Tatties , and asked our pal to read the "Address to a Haggis" with his Mancunian accent (think Gallagher Brothers!) - lets just say he improved AFTER the whisky! lol
* To a Mouse
Wee sleekit cowrin timrous beastie
Oh what a panic's in thy breastie
Thou need na start awa sae hasty , wi bickering brattle
I wad be laith to rin and chase thee wi murdering prattle
I'm truly sorry man's dominion
has broken nature's social union
An' justifies that ill opinion , which makes thee startle
at me , thy earth-born companion , and fellow mortal
I doubt na , whiles, but thou may thieve
What then poor beastie , thou maun live
A daimen icker in a thrave , 's a sma request
I'll get a blessing with the lave and never miss't
Thy wee bit housie , too, in ruin
Its silly wa's the win's are strewin'
And naething, now ,to big a new ane , o foggage green
An bleak December's winds ensuin , baith snell and keen
Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste
An' weary winter comin' fast
Till crash! the cruel coulter past, out thro' thy cell
That wee bit heap o leaves and stibblehas cost thee mony a weary nibble!
Now thou's turn'd out, for a' thy trouble, but house or hald
To thole the winter's sleety dribble, and cranreuch cauld!
But Mousie thou art no thy lane
In proving foresight may be vain
The best laid schemes o' mice and men , gang aft agley
And leave us nought but grief and pain, for promis'd joy
Still thou art blest, compar'd wi me
The present only toucheth thee
But och, I backward cast my e'e , on prospects drear
An forward , tho I canna see, I guess an fear !
Officially! According to some news reports and newspapers , today id the day when everyone feels at their lowest. Today , the sky looked like it was at its lowest too!
I'm cheering myself up with this at the moment , a lovely edition illustrated by Lauren Child , she of the Charlie and Lola/ Clarice Bean fame.
Still working on my little blue shrug - just the sleeves to do now , and I've got a little waylaid by doing a beret in Sirdar Blur as a favour for someone.
All this just to avoid doing some sewing - my cocoon cardi is ready for seaming , but I'm not in the mood. It doesn't help that I've had tonsilitis for a week (getting better , just) , and am only doing the barest necessities ...... like going ot the TramwayKnits group on Sunday afternoon - lol !
So I'm off to read Pippi Longstocking , and drink some honey and lemon - lifes hard ! Oh , after I've read Kimberleys' new blog .
Edited Later : Thanks Kathleen , blog link now corrected!
I got my Ravelry invitation on Saturday evening ! My name is Merinomills - original eh?
I had started a new project on Friday (I told you I'd break some of my resolutions by the 13th January! lol) a little shrug for our friends wee girl - I need to get a move on , as it is for her birthday - 2 weeks ago! Was feeling good as it was from stash and not a new purchase - its DB astrakhan in powder blue , and is dreadful to knit with , but both looks and feels great . Had been checking my email to see if there were any invites , but nothing !
Spent a wonderful , albeit cold, Saturday afternoon at Pollok Park and the Burrell Collection with DH and the children . Saw the Highland Cattle out in the fields next to the house. Then walked very briskly to the Burrell Collection to heat up and have a look inside , or if you are small boys , run around , then demand to go to the cafe for some overpriced sticky cake of sorts! It is a great museum to visit , most of it on the one level , and everything in order and well spaced. There was also a lovely exhibition of Joseph Crawhall's Watercolours , on Reynard the Fox ! The kids showed a little interest , then ran off to buy bendy erasers from the museum shop - very cultured , my lot , NOT! lol
After I got home , and fed the masses , was about to settle down to some more knitting but thought I'd check my inbox first , and there it was .... my invite .
So .... three hours later , the children went to bed in disgust at their mother growling from the computer - "DO NOT DISTURB ME!" Their Father was sat happily in front of Sky Sports!
Well the blogosphere seems to be full of New Year resolutions just now .
There are new blogs being set up - look here !
Folk jetting off to pastures new and foreign !
Gargantuan tasks will be taken up here !
And new solutions to old problems here !
And DH is giving up alcohol for January.
So.
What.
Should.
I .
Resolve .
To.
Do ?
Number 1 - Join Ravelry , its everywhere so I'm not going to fight it any longer .
Number 2 - Keep away from Yarn shops for all of JANUARY! that one should be hard enough , notice I haven't mentioned ebay or online stores .
Number 3 - Finish old projects - I have one that has been on the needles for two years - and I really like it but its 3mm needles and takes forever. So after finishing all the chunky aran projects , and sisters Birthday project , I'm gonna concentrate on that one TILL ITS DONE .
Oh yes! this one is more a note to myself - never knit for teenagers , especially nieces. When shown her new room in her new house , her new Rowan Biggy Print scarf was lying on the floor caught up in the sliding door !
Well thats all for now - its not quite as big as the other ones above but hopefully will be able to keep them until , oooh , about Sunday 13th January - no will power , thats whats wrong with me!
Happy New Year to all of you and best wishes for 2008 .
We received some excellent news today - our friends wee girl is officially in remission , after a year of Chemo. We are so happy for them all , as its been such a hard year .
Hope you were all doing wonderful things before and after the bells - our children put on a concert for us , then fell asleep a half hour before midnight!
And a little bird just informed me that the Purlescence sale started at midnight last night , go have a peek!
